The Ace of Spades and the Queen of Hearts
by RhubarbCrumble
Summary: An attempt at conveying Rouge and Gambit's growing relationship and the struggles they face. Story is set some time before Jean Grey's wacky Pheonix story arc. Rated T cause I'm a paranoid child


**(Hi It's Rhubarb. This is my first story so don't hate me! Anyway I love the pairing and I have found a solution for them, read on to find out what. Anyways I don't own the fabulous 90's cartoon or the characters they are all trademarks of marvel entertainment I think. Enjoy!) **

Chapter 1 Gloves

Sometimes it seemed they were just friends, no, most of the time it was entirely that way. They got along well; no one really ever worked out why. Of course they had been through a lot together, more than a lot. So when anyone looked for the most obvious friendship in the group it was either the father-daughter thing Wolverine had with Jubilee or else the banter and antics of Rouge and Gambit.

Storm fluttered past gracefully, her angelic white uniform moving gently in the wind that she partially responsible for. She smiled brightly to her friend and waved.

"Are you coming with us Rouge?" She shouted.

Rouge was sitting on the roof of the school, "Not today Storm. I've got stuff to do." She yelled back. It had been a lie. Rouge just needed some time to herself.

"See you soon!" she said in her goddess-like weather-controlling voice. "Summer wind, push me onward." With that a gust of warm air sent Storm after the cars travelling along the road. Logan's Jeep was leading them; he seemed to be racing Scott and Jean in their new convertible.

"Everything's a competition ain't it?" Rouge sighed to herself. The x-men had adopted a new way of dealing with stress. Instead of taking potentially risky vacations they would have days out every so often. The Professor said it helped with the group's motivation, although it was clear to Rouge he enjoyed doing regular human things as much as the rest of them.

Realising she would have some time alone, Rouge slipped her gloves off. It was a wonder her hands hadn't rotted away in the heat under them. She threw hands up in the air and dived down to her open window. She rolled over and glided in with ease. Dramatically she dumped the gloves on her bed and wandered downstairs to the kitchen.

"I thought it was just Gambit, _chere._" said an awfully familiar voice, from behind the island counter.

Rouge slipped her hands into her jacket pockets. She decided there would be no accidental energy drainage on this otherwise fine day.

"And I thought it was just me, sugar." She said stepping round. "What'ya doing?"

Gambit looked up from the cupboard. "Gambit's searching for the good plates."

"Why would ya do that when we got the old ones in the dishwasher?" Rouge asked.

"Because it's a special occasion, _chere_." He looked up, a thoughtful glaze over the strange eyes. Rouge suddenly realised what he meant.

She smacked herself in the face, "Well I'll be danged. I forgot my own birthday!"

"But I didn't."

"Yeah 'bout that. How come none of the others remembered but you did?" It was rare for Remy to care so much or at least to show he did.

The strange eyes flickered downward and he bit his lower lip as if he, the most deceptive person ever, was embarrassed, "I remembered you said you wanted a celebration this year, _chere_. So when Gambit's calendar tells him the date, he makes some preparations."

Rouge smiled, "That's very sweet of you Gambit. Ah guess you expected me to be out today."

"No it's fine, I got you a present." He reached into one of the pockets in his ever-present trench coat. Rouge often wondered if he had several thousand playing cards lining it. He brought out a soft package wrapped in white and green striped tissue paper.

Ever so carefully Rouge reached forward and took it. She paid close attention to Gambit's uncovered fingers. She pulled off the tissue paper and gasped. Sitting in her hands were brand new yellow gloves. Unlike the other ones which were plastic and uncomfortable, these were a very fine silk with elastic along the wrist. Stitched on the sides were tiny red X buttons and on the edges were lovely lace details.

"Why thank you, but how in the world did you know?" She managed finally. Smiling again and noticing that she was blushing ever so slightly by the faint warmth at her cheeks.

Gambit stood up, "I have my ways." He said smugly. He turned for the fridge while Rouge was left both puzzled and grateful

He opened the fridge and brought out a large green bottle. "The Professor had been saving these for the Summers' anniversary but I'm sure he won't mind one bottle." It was very nice looking champagne.

So Rouge found herself sitting with a glass of champagne at the dining room table with Gambit at her side. He'd poured, claiming the birthday girl shouldn't have too. She noticed for the first time that although the Trench coat was there Remy wasn't in his usual uniform. He actually looked normal without the black thing he usually wore to cover much of his face. Gambit wasn't one for doing normal.

"Thanks for going to all the trouble for lil' old me." Hiccupped Rouge after her third glass. They'd spent so long talking that she hardly noticed her glass empty and fill up occasionally. She realised no one really had time to just talk anymore. There was always another threat, always a villain to defeat, never more than a few days of quiet, but that's life. Or at least it was the life of the x-men. Nevertheless here they were talking about normal stuff like normal human beings.

Gambit shook his head, the eyes glittered strangely, as the sclera flashed red to match the pupils before fading back to black. "No problem, _chere_. You are my friend. De others don't trust Gambit. Dey think I never changed." Someone else had drunk a little too much. He rarely if ever mentioned what people thought of him.

"I'm sure they do, sugar. Don't you ever think that we don't need you, okay?" She took his hand in her gloved one.

He smiled, "Thanks Rouge." She knew that when he called her by name he was definitely being sincere. The _chere_ code was difficult to decipher.

The flash of the eyes again, noticed Rouge. It had to mean something. They usually only did that when he was angry, those eyes, strange as they were, were like a window into the secret thoughts of the Cajun. Not many people knew how to read what they saw though.

"Remember when Bishop accused you of assassinating Senator Kelly and we actually thought you would do it? Well there was a minute where Storm looked at me after claiming she knew you better than the rest of us. An' I bet your Ace of Spades you never thought 'bout why she did that."

"It did confuse me, _chere_. But there was a lot going on that day to think about it."

"Well I'll tell you why she did it. She knew that I trusted you more than the others, she knew more about how I felt than anybody. An' when that happened I sided with them. It hurt. I didn't want to betray you, but I did and it hurt. I've thought about it for so long and I'm glad I can finally say it."

He spoke softly, "You shouldn't worry, _mon amie_." A devious smile spread across his thin lips, "What did Storm know about how you felt?"

"It's none of your damn business!" demanded Rouge. She felt her cheeks burn red in a blush again.

"C'mon Rouge you can tell Gambit." His eyebrows were raised a little at her sudden change in mood.

She shook her head. Brown and white curls fell about her face as she did so. "It don't matter. I can't tell ya, not today and not any other day." She pleaded, as she stood up.

Confused Remy placed his hand on her shoulder as she took a step away, "You don't have to go away, _cher_, just because I hit a raw nerve."

"I do now get your hand offa' me."

"But why?" he asked nervously, Rouge wasn't one for being angry but when she was it was quite spectacular.

"Because back then," she said, water glazing her eyes, "maybe even after that," the first tear slid slowly down her flushed face, "I loved you."

With that she lifted from the ground and would have flown away, had he not snatched his hand away at that moment. It wasn't as if he was disgusted, more surprised. Rouge turned back to see him sitting, his eyes fixated on hers.

"Rouge?"

"What?" She cried, moving slowly further away.

He breathed in; his whole body seemed to tremble. "Maybe I loved you too." He said simply.

Rouge didn't look surprised, she only nodded, "And that's what made it so difficult."

"Why?"

She almost screamed the next part. "Because I don't wanta' hurt you Remy. We could never touch, never kiss, what type of life is that?"

"I wouldn't bother me. It wouldn't matter Rouge." He said, standing up too.

"Oh but it would. I know what men are like. It would hurt me too." She sped away, narrowly avoiding a crash into the door with a graceful bend.

Remy was left staring after her. He didn't know what to do. He could follow her, it might upset her more, and maybe staying put would have the same outcome. "But deir is a way, _Cherie._" He muttered to himself. He pulled out a Queen of Diamonds from his pocket. "Deir is always a way." The queen's face smiled back at him; on this card he had scrawled a pair of gloves in black marker. He never threw that one away.


End file.
